News – Page 6987

China enacts law to promote renewable energy (4:37 p.m.) – Sun Star

BEIJING — China’s utilities will be required to buy all the power produced by wind farms and other renewable sources under a new law meant to promote the industry and reduce heavy reliance on coal. Legislators approved the measure Saturday as an …

December 27, 2009

Another Single Ladies Cover

I was sent this a little while ago and just wanted your thoughts on it. It’s crazy how no matter what age, race, gender, sexuality, musical preferences… Beyoncé reaches them all. This is just a cool interpretation, and since news is a little slow at the moment it gives us something to look at.

December 27, 2009

China: Violence, drug addiction, teen pregnancy — blame it on video games

China has just put the blame on video games for… well… everything. Drug addictin, teen pregnancy, murder, name it, it’s the fault of video games. Apparently, it’s the spawn of the devil.

December 27, 2009

Searches in London after Nigerian suspect’s arrest

India Express
Saturday, Dec 26th, 2009

The Metropolitan Police is conducting searches and inquiries into
the Nigeria-origin man, believed to be a London student, who tried to
detonate a bomb on a US aircraft.

The Metropolitan Police said its officers were liaising with the US
authorities, and University College London, where is reported to be
registered as a student, has confirmed it has a student of the same
name.

The person caused panic on the plane about to land at Detroit with
278 people aboard when he reportedly tried to detonate some sort of
bomb.

He was overpowered by passengers after the device failed to ignite properly.

Reports named him as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, an engineering
student at University College London who had applied for a visa to
attend a religious seminar.

Passenger: Terror suspect seemed ’stunned’

CNN
Saturday, Dec 26th, 2009

Syed Jafry was preparing for his plane to land in
Detroit, Michigan, after a long flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands,
when he heard a noise that startled him.

“There was a little bit of light, a little bit of — kind
of flamish light and there was fire,” Jafry told CNN. “And
people began to panic.”

For a couple of seconds on Northwest Flight 253, nobody knew what was going on, he said.

That pop, officials say, came from a Nigerian man who ignited a
small explosive device as the flight descended into the Detroit,
Michigan, area. The White House described the incident as an attempted
terrorist attack. The suspect was eventually subdued by passengers and
crew.

Full article here

London Student in Plane Bomb Bid

The Sun
Friday, December 25, 2009

A LONDON student claiming to work for al-Qaeda tried to blow up a Christmas Day flight, FBI sources claimed last night.

The man who was travelling from Nigeria, tried to ignite a
“powdery substance” on a flight from Amsterdam as it began
to land at Detroit.

ABC News named the suspect as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, who
was said to be an engineering student at University College of London.

He was early today being quizzed by police and the FBI after he told them he had connections to al-Qaeda.

The man set off a firecracker on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, an Airbus 330 carrying 278 passengers.

Spokeswoman Susan Elliott said the passenger was subdued immediately.

A senior intelligence official said: “He claimed the device
was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be
used.”

Full story here.

Obama Monitoring Delta Flight Firecracker Situation

Reuters
Friday, December 25, 2009

KAILUA, Hawaii, Dec 25 (Reuters) – U.S, President Barack
Obama, who is on vacation in Hawaii, was “actively
monitoring” the situation with a Delta flight on which a man
reportedly set off firecrackers, the White House said on Friday.

A man reportedly set off firecrackers on Delta Flight 253 that was carrying 278 passengers to Detroit from Amsterdam.

“The president was notified of the incident this morning
between 9:00 and 9:30 Hawaii time by the president’s military
aide,” White House spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement.

Obama spoke by conference call with national security advisers and
then he “instructed that all appropriate measures be taken to
increase security for air travel,” Burton said.

Full story here.

Passenger ‘Tries To Blow Up’ U.S. Plane

Neal Walker
Sky News
Friday, December 25, 2009

Popout

The White House says an incident involving a small explosion on an airliner was an attempted act of terrorism.

A U.S. intelligence official said the passenger who ignited a
“powdery substance” on the Delta Airlines flight was trying
to blow up the plane.

The flight was arriving at Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport when the incident took place.

The suspect, who suffered third-degree burns, reportedly told federal investigators that he was directed by al Qaeda.

A U.S. intelligence official said the explosive device was a mix of
powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it.

Representative Peter King, who sits on the House of Representatives
Homeland Security Committee, said the device was “fairly
sophisticated,” and the suspect was a 23-year-old Nigerian man.

The White House says President Obama, who is on holiday in Hawaii, is “actively monitoring” the situation.

Full story here.

How Five Fingers Turned Me into a Transvestite

It’s cold in the UK at the moment. Brass monkey weather.

Walking though the city recently, I was aware of a gaping hole in my insulation. Whilst my feet were kept warm by snugly-fitting Vibram Five Finger Treks and my legs by fleece-lined trousers, in between there was nothing. A whistling gale sliced across my ankles like a razor.

I was passing a ladies’ accessories shop, when it struck me.

Have you got any leg warmers? I enquired within.

Over here, pointed the young lady assistant, coming out from behind the desk in spite of the I-don’t-want-help vibes I thought I was giving.

Before us lay an array of multi-coloured Cindy Lauper-esque leg warmers.

She, ahem, wants them in plain black, I said.

The girl removed a pair from the display. We’ve only the fishnets in plain black, she said.

I looked doubtful, but she grinned encouragingly. Go on – girls like a bit of kinky!

Okay, I said weakly. My deception had left me unable to reason convincingly.

Later, under the scrutiny of my compadrés, I was naturally subject to ridicule. You’re gay, was the sing-song verdict of one. Another emailed this YouTube link.

Ridicule I can tolerate, but cold ankles I simply won’t stand for.

December 27, 2009

The True Face of Obamacare

Britons Shun Gordon Brown’s Roadshow to Promote Britishness

‘Gordon Brown’s national roadshow to promote the concept of Britishness has turned out to be an expensive flop. The
public, councillors and even ministers have declined to attend events
organised to determine if there is a case for a full British Bill of
Rights and duties, or a written constitution.

The Conservatives say ten members of the
public turned up to the first event in Leicester in December 2007,
which cost £37,000 and was hosted by Jack Straw. They say that
after that embarrassment, his Ministry of Justice restricted attendance
at Governance of Britain events to people selected, and even paid, by
the ministry.’

Yemen: New Frontier in US ‘War on Terror’

‘The increased violence in Yemen is a clear
indication that military campaigns to crush al-Qaeda-inspired violence
extend far beyond the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It also
shows up hostile fault-lines within the Middle East, pitting mainly
Shia Iran against Sunni Saudi Arabia, who condemn each other for taking
sides in Yemen’s long-running civil war. Yemen is one of the
poorest countries in the Arab world with almost half its 24 million
people living below the poverty line and an authoritarian government
that has failed to win the trust of a substantive part of its own
population.’

Morgellons: When a Delusion Is NOT a Delusion

‘“Oh
my gosh…. that looks so creepy!” “What could possibly cause
that?” “Have you seen a dermatologist?” “What are you going to do?”
With concern and bewilderment in their voices, a group of nurses
gathered around the nurse’s station and examined their co-worker’s
arms. They were intrigued yet somewhat frightened by the unusual skin
condition that was causing their friend’s skin to erupt and produce
brightly colored fibers.’

Cheaper iPhones Available in France

Found under: iPhone, 3GS, Orange, France, ,

Orange has abruptly lost the iPhone exclusivity in France earlier this year and that brings good news to French customers that want to buy Apples handset now. After having to comply with the Competition Council decision of ending the iPhone exclusivity deal with Apple Orange has to face now some serious iPhone competition in France. Therefore the giant carrier has decided to cut iPhone prices. So in case youre not willing to wait for the 4th-gen iPhone to arrive then now is a good t

Science, Politics and Global Warming

‘The Global Warming circus in
Copenhagen was politics driven by a consensus that, by definition, has
nothing to do with science. The apocalyptic nonsense that opened the
meeting highlighted that fact. How many who attended or demonstrated at
the meeting actually understand the (disputed) scientific grounds for
the hysteria? Meanwhile, leading science journals allow skeptics of
Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) to be labelled “deniers” and refuse
them the right of reply. It is doctrinaire denouncement, not science.
It is the journal editors who are denying the scientific method by
censoring debate. It is they who are peddling ideology.

Despite the glossy media image, modern
science is a mess. When the fundamental concepts are false,
technological progress merely provides science with a more efficient
means for going backwards. At the same time, government and corporate
funding promotes the rampant disease of specialism and fosters
politicization of science with the inevitable warring factions and
religious fervor.’

Man Tries to Blow Up Northwest Airlines Flight

‘Federal officials and police are
interviewing a Nigerian man, who allegedly tried to “explode” a powdery
substance aboard a Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, injuring
himself and two other passengers, law enforcement officials said.

The man said he was directed by al Qaeda
to explode a small device in flight, over U.S. soil, ABC News has
learned. Authorities have no corroboration of that information, and the
credibility of the suspect’s statements are being questioned, officials
said.’

Furor Erupts Over Atheist Display At State Capitol

‘A conservative activist and Illinois
comptroller candidate was escorted from the Illinois State Capitol
building Wednesday when he tried to remove a sign put up by an atheist
group.

The sign reads: “At the time of the
winter solstice, let reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no
angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is
just myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds”.’

La semana en los blogs CXCII

Edición navideña de “la semana en los blogs”, aderezada por un disco viejo de Diego Vasallo. Ahí van los enlaces:

Algunas prácticas “Black Hat SEO” pueden salir rentables. En Audiencias.
Google presume de su filosofía abierta. ¿Puede hacerlo?. En Incognitosis.
fonYou, se desvela su precio. En Xataka Movil.
Actimel, ¿realmente ayuda a tus defensas?. Por Bruno Abarca.
VLMC, Editor de video multiplataforma de los creadores de VLC. En Sigt.
Me he equivocado firmando el segundo manifiesto. En port666.
Las 10 peores ideas que esta década ha dejado en gastronomía (no estoy de acuerdo con todas, pero sí con algunas). Jesús Encinar.
¿Quién está asesinando a los feeds?. En Después de Google.
¿Cómo se gestionan los derechos de autor en un concierto?. En Malabache.
Selección de pequeños regalos para fotógrafos. En Caborian.
La Lotería de Navidad como ingrediente de la cohesión social. Por Jorge Galindo.
El #manifiesto y la Ética hácker, en Linotipo.
Twitter, directo al talonario de Google y Microsoft. En El Catalejo.
Lo que quiere la gente: Rage Against the Machine, no. 1 navideño en la BBC. En ¿Quién vigila al vigilante.
La sentencia del caso Microsoft / XML / i4i explicada. En Genbeta.
25 ideas para aprovechar estas Navidades. En Think Wasabi.
Marc Roisin: “el desafío del comercio electrónico es generar confianza”. En Actibva.
Pseudolog propone la “estupidez como agravante”.

Os dejo con un poco de Digo Vasallo, “La vida mata”:

December 27, 2009

Welcome to Pashtunistan: The Aim of America’s Secret War?

‘Pakistan’s conspiracy theorists have
long held that the real object of Xe, acting on behalf of the CIA, is
to destabilise Pakistan so as to have an excuse to take over or destroy
its nuclear assets, because Israel and the US remain uncomfortable with
a nuclear Pakistan. I have long disputed this theory, but am finding it
increasingly difficult to continue doing so.

The Brazilian journalist Pepe Escobar has suggested that the US
wants to leave behind a united Pashtunistan, consisting of
Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province and Afghanistan, an
independent Balochistan and a weak, truncated Pakistan.’

Week in review: Company-decimating soda bottles, Metaplace’s vanishing virtual worlds

Here’s our rundown of the week’s business and tech news. (Due to the holiday-shortened week, I’m including fewer posts than usual.) First, the most popular stories VentureBeat published in the last seven days:

coke_machine Can a single bottle of soda decimate your company? Absolutely. — Entrepreneurship guru Steve Blank writes about how seemingly insignificant things, like the availability of free soda, reflect the big challenges startups face as they grow.

2010’s hottest contenders: 8 products to watch — Columnist Saad Fazil picks eight products that could make a big splash in 2010, from note-taking service Evernote to smartphone maker HTC. He also points out some of the big trends that will be shaping multiple industries.

Panasonic’s new home battery could store a week’s worth of electricity — Panasonic appears tobe charging into the green market, first with deals to supply batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles, and this week with the announcement of a massive lithium-ion storage battery that is supposedly capable of powering an average home for up to a week.

80legs sets its web crawler free — 80legs is a web-crawling service that promises to let smaller companies to build their own mini-Google. Now it’s making the service even more accessible to bootstrapped entrepreneurs, researchers, and others, by offering a free version.

And here are four more stories we thought were important, thought-provoking, or fun:

Metaplace to shut down its site for thousands of virtual worlds — Virtual world platform Metaplace announced that it needs to make “a strategic shift,” and will close its site on Jan. 1. When that happens, some 70,000 virtual worlds will disappear from the internet.

Why so few paid Android apps? Blame Google Checkout — Only 21 percent of the location-based Android mobile apps in Google’s Android Market app store have a price tag, according to a new report co-authored by mobile analytics firm Distimo. Vincent Hoogsteder, the firm’s chief executive, tells us why.

Google acquisitions may signal big push against Microsoft Office – Googlers have been talking about how 2010 will be a big year for improving their Google Docs word processor and turning it into a real competitor against Microsoft Word. Recent Google acquisitions (confirmed and otherwise) suggest some of those new features will come from startups.

Spotify biding time for the right contracts before U.S. debut — The most eagerly anticipated music service this side of the Atlantic Ocean didn’t cross the pond this year. What’s going on? We sat down with Spotify’s vice president of products to find out.